UN, unity gov't condemn attack on UNSCO office in Gaza

The UN and the Palestinian Unity government officially condemned Wednesday's protests and attacks on the UN Special Coordinator Office (UNSCO) in Gaza city, saying such actions would delay the process of reconstruction in the coastal enclave.

Hundreds of angry protesters and Hamas members demonstrated earlier Wednesday morning in Gaza city against the decision of the UN Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) of stopping paying financial aid to victims of Israeli military offensive on Gaza last summer.

The demonstrators gathered in front of UNSCO building in western Gaza city, and threw stones at the building. Dozens were seen climbing the walls of the building and gathered into the yard of UNSCO.

Robert Serry, envoy of the UN Secretary General to the Middle East, said in an emailed press statement that the attack "is fully condemned." He accused Hamas movement of knowing in-advance about the demonstration.

"The security forces didn't carry out any measures to protect the office of UNSCO," said Serry, who held Hamas movement responsible for the safety of the UN employees and its humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip. He called on Hamas to handover the control to the Palestinian National Authority.

Meanwhile, the unity government also said in a press statement that the attack "is fully condemned," adding "such actions of troubles would never serve speeding up the process of reconstruction and would negatively influence the government's efforts to help ending the crisis."

"Political powers are called to stand to the unity government's side to remove all the current obstacles that delays the process of reconstruction," said the statement, adding "attacks on offices of international organizations must be avoided because this would be negatively reflected on Gaza."

On Tuesday, UNRWA announced that due to lack of donations and financing pledged by international and Arab donors in the donors' conference held in October in Cairo, it decided to stop paying financial aid to the owners of the partially and completely destroyed houses in the Gaza Strip.

During the 50-day large-scale Israeli military air and ground offensive waged on the Gaza Strip and ended on Aug. 26, the Israeli army had completely destroyed and partially damaged tens of thousands of houses by random tanks shells and warplanes missiles.

According to official figures of UN and the Palestinian Ministry of Housing, there are some 90,000 families in the Gaza Strip remained homeless and received partial payment either to cover temporarily rent of alternative homes or renovate the damages caused to their homes.

Saleh Shalha, 30-year-old of the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalia, owner of a house that was destroyed during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, told reporters that the demonstration is a response to the UN decision of cutting off aid paid to the owners of the destroyed houses.

"The UN neglected and ignored us when it decided to stop paying us the aid to renovate or rebuild our destroyed houses. We call on the international community to bear its responsibility towards our tragedy," angry Shalha said, adding that "it is really unfair, and this means that we will remain homeless."

The protest was organized by the pro-Hamas Committee to Defend the Palestinian Refugees and the local Committee to Defy the Israeli Siege. The Palestinian police and security forces, which still run by Hamas, remained silent and didn't stop the attack on UNSCO, according to UN officials.

Adham Abu Selmeya, a Hamas official and head of the refugees' committee, slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the unity government "for not condemning the UN decision of cutting off aid paid to the people in the Gaza Strip, who have their homes been destroyed

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